In the competitive market of telecommunication services, a customer may desire to augment his or her conventional telecommunication service with advanced services. Generally, an advanced service is a service that provides features or functions that are not usually provided within a local switching system (e.g., #5ESS, manufactured by Lucent Technologies), that are relatively complex, that require coordination of multiple systems, and that are implemented typically through the use of data communications between or among network elements. Examples of advanced services include audio caller ID, flexible call forwarding, etc.
Presently, to obtain advanced services, a customer typically must have a predefined relationship with a telecommunication service provider. A predefined relationship is required whether the telecommunication services are switch-based or whether the telecommunication services are provided by an AIN. In a switch-based system, the predefined relationship is a requirement because many services for a customer are implemented directly at the switch that serves the customer's calling line. More particularly, in the switch-based system, a block of information with respect to a customer's services is stored in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. This block of information is stored in the switch because of administration, control and billing reasons. Thus, for a customer to obtain a service, the customer has to contact the service provider to pre-register the service. The service provider then takes steps to specially and individually configure the block of information required to enable the customer's services in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. Thus, in a switch-based system, the predefined relationship between the customer and service provider provides that the switch serving the customer's calling line include a block of information relating to the services of the customer.
In the AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and a service provider is also a requirement for advanced services, but for different reasons than in the switch-based system. In contrast to the switch-based system, in the AIN information with respect to the advanced services of a customer is not stored directly at the switch that serves the customer's calling line. Rather, in the AIN, information with respect to a customer's advanced services is generally stored at an AIN element other than the service switching point (SSP) which serves as or in conjunction with a switch in the AIN. Usually, the AIN element that stores the information is a centralized AIN element such as a service control point (SCP) that may be accessed via data communications by multiple SSPs. Typically, such information is stored in a database or table associated with a service package application (SPA) that may be located at the SCP. An SCP may be queried via a data communication by an SSP for processing instructions with respect to the implementation of advanced services for a communication to or from a customer's calling line that is served by the SSP. Upon receipt of the query, the SCP consults the appropriate databases or tables and provides a response via another data communication to the SSP. This response includes processing instructions that are carried out by the SSP. In some cases, a service circuit node (SCN) may be consulted by the SCP or otherwise used in providing the advanced services.
Thus, in the AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider provides that an SCP include an entry of information relating to an advanced service of the customer. Also in the AIN, the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider provides for the appropriate mechanisms to reach the entry of information relating to the advanced service of the customer. These mechanisms operate such that an SSP that serves a customer's calling line having advanced services queries via data communication the appropriate SCP for call processing instructions. The SSP then carries out the instructions received in a response via data communication from the SCP.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that is used to illustrate the steps that are presently taken in order to bring about the predefined relationship between a customer and a service provider in the AIN. As noted, the predefined relationship must exist in order to presently obtain advanced services in the AIN. Customer 1, who desires to obtain an advanced service, contacts the sales/service representative 2 of the customer's telecommunication service provider. The sales/service representative 2 engages the customer in a dialogue and obtains information from the customer with respect to the advanced service. The sales/service representative 2 then enters this information into a service order system 3. The service order system 3 uses the information to derive further information with respect to billing issues, to set up an entry of information with respect to the customer's advanced service, and to provide for the appropriate mechanisms to reach the entry of information.
From the service order system 3, the appropriate information or instructions based thereon are distributed as appropriate to the billing system 4, the service management system (SMS) 5, and the Mechanized Administration and Recent Change (MARCH). As the term implies, the billing system 4 uses the information or instructions to set up and carry out billing to the customer for the advanced service. The SMS 5 further distributes the information or instructions as appropriate to a service circuit node (SCN) 7 and/or a service control point (SCP) 8. The information is incorporated as an entry of information relating to the advanced service of the customer. Typically, this entry of information is stored in a database or table associated with an appropriate service package application (SPA). As noted above, this entry of information is part of the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider. The MARCH 6 also further distributes the information or instructions, but the MARCH 6 distributes the information or instructions to an appropriate SSP 9 so that the appropriate mechanisms are set up at the SSP 9 to enable the SSP 9 to communicate with the SCP 8 and obtain instructions based on the entry of information. As also noted above, these appropriate mechanisms are part of the predefined relationship between the customer and the service provider.
The manner of establishing the requisite predefined relationship with a customer in the switch-based system or the AIN has posed problems to telecommunication service providers. One such problem is that a customer typically has been unable to obtain an advanced service without the execution of the lengthy and complex procedures described above that are necessary to set up the predefined relationship. These lengthy and complex procedures preclude a customer from directly setting up his or her own advanced services. These lengthy and complex procedures also preclude the short term implementation or "rental" of advanced services. In addition, these lengthy and complex procedures preclude the implementation of advanced services on short notice. In other words, it is generally impossible to be a "walk-up" customer of advanced services.
With respect to switch-based systems, a solution has been posed in the patent to Andruska et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,236 to the problems of allowing a customer to directly set up his or her own switch services, of renting these services for a short term, and of implementing them on short notice. As noted above, in a switch-based system, a block of information with respect to a customer's advanced services is stored in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. Andruska et al. provides a feature processor as part of the local switching system for use in connection with this block of information in the switch. In response to a call from a customer, the feature processor may be used to effectively change the block of information relating to the customer's service map that is stored in the switch.
Yet, Andruska et al. does not solve the problem of the lengthy and complex procedures for the set up of a predefined relationship in a switch-based system. Andruska et al. does not solve this problem because Andruska et al. does not address the problem of creating a predefined relationship. In Andruska et al., in order for a customer to access the feature processor to set up or change advanced services, the customer has to already have a predefined relationship and associated data block with the service provider. In other words, the block of information with respect to the customer must be present in order for Andruska et al.'s system to work to set or change the services available. Andruska et al. does not provide for the establishment of the predefined relationship, but rather, works on a predefined relationship that is in place.
Further, Andruska et al. does not present any solution for the AIN. As noted, Andruska et al. does not solve the problem of the lengthy and complex procedures for the set up of an AIN service. In addition, Andruska et al. does not present any solution for the AIN because Andruska et al. is directed to a switch-based system. Thus, the solution offered by Andruska et al. is inapplicable to the AIN.
More particularly explained, as noted above, the differences between a switch-based system and the AIN result in differences in the type of predefined relationship that must be established with a customer in order to provide services. In the AIN, the predefined relationship requires an entry of information relating to the advanced service of the customer in a centralized AIN element such as an SCP that may be accessed via data communications by multiple SSPs. Andruska et al.'s posed solution works on the premise that the block of information relating to a customer's advanced services is stored in the switch serving the customer's calling line. Thus, Andruska et al.'s posed solution is inapplicable to the AIN.
In addition, in the AIN, the predefined relationship also requires that appropriate mechanisms be set up so that the entry of information relating to the advanced service of the customer that are stored in the centralized AIN element may be accessed from an SSP. As noted, Andruska et al.'s posed solution works on the premise that the block of information relating to a customer's services is stored in the switch serving the customer's calling line and merely toggles access to preexisting services. There is no need in Andruska et al.'s posed solution for a mechanism to reach an entry of information that is stored in a different element that must be accessed from the switch. Andruska et al.'s posed solution does not disclose such a mechanism, Thus, Andruska et al.'s posed solution is inapplicable to the AIN.
The problems faced in the AIN have not been solved with respect to the activities of customer selection and activation of advanced services, delivery of short term or rental of advanced services, and implementation of such advanced services on short notice. They have not been solved because the manner in which the predefined relationship must be established between a customer and a service provider precludes these activities. In particular, the manner in which an entry of information for a customer in a centralized AIN element is set up and the manner in which mechanisms are set up to access that entry of information have been stumbling blocks to the referenced activities.
As noted, the first of these stumbling blocks is the manner in which an entry of information is set up for a customer in a centralized AIN element. This task has been a stumbling block for several reasons. As explained above in connection with FIG. 1, in the AIN presently, the entry of information for a customer is accomplished by the following several steps. These steps include the receipt of the information by the sales/service representative 2, input of such information into the service order system 3, transmission of the information to the service management system (SMS) 5, and then finally further distribution of the information to a service circuit node 7 or service control point 8. Although this process is necessary, it is a process that requires human intervention through the use of the sales/service representative, takes a relatively long time, includes quite a few steps, and otherwise generally slows down the implementation of advanced services for a customer.
Although this process of providing an entry of information at the centralized AIN element is lengthy, the entry of information is limited to information relating to the particular advanced service to be provided to the customer. This entry of information does not correlate the customer and their directory number (calling line) to any particular service switching point (SSP) or other AIN element that serves the customer. Further, neither the SCP nor the SCN maintains any type of correlation table or database between customers' calling lines and the respective SSPs serving the calling lines. In other words, an SCP does not know which SSP serves which customer's calling line. When providing an SSP with processing instructions in response to a query, the SCP addresses the response based on information that is included in the query. The query/response exchange defines the relationship in communications between the SSP and the SCP. The SCP does not otherwise keep any correlative information between a customer's calling line and its serving SSP.
This lack of correlative information at the SCP is another problem in delivering customer selection and activation of advanced services, the rental of advanced services, and the implementation of advanced services on short notice. An entry of information may be provided at the SCP, but unless the SCP receives a query from the SSP serving the customer's line, it is unable to initiate a service without knowing which SSP to contact. Without this correlation, advanced services may not be applied to the customer's calling line because these advanced services are enabled through the SSP serving the customer's calling line. In other words, the SCP may have an entry of information for a customer that provides instructions for advanced services, but the SCP does not itself have any information with respect to a place to send the instructions relating to the enablement of the advanced services. This is a problem because the customer does not receive his or her desired advanced services.
Further, the lack of correlative information at a centralized AIN element such as an SCP or SCN between customers' calling lines and the respective SSPs that serve these calling lines is not a problem in a switched-based system. As explained above, in a switch-based system, a block of information with respect to a customer's services is stored in the switch that serves the customer's calling line. No other element generally is consulted with respect to the implementation of services for a customer's calling line other than the switch serving the calling line. Thus, there is no need for keeping track of which switch serves which calling lines in a switch-based system.
As referenced briefly above, there is at least one other stumbling block to the provision of customer selection and activation of advanced services, delivery of short term or rental of advanced services, and implementation of such advanced services on short notice. This stumbling block is the manner in which mechanisms are set up to access the entry information relating to a customer that is stored in a centralized AIN element from an SSP. This task also has been a stumbling block for several reasons. As explained above in connection with FIG. 1, in the AIN presently, the appropriate mechanisms necessary to reach the entry of information at the SCN or the SCP are set up through parallel steps to the storage of the entry of information. The mechanisms are set up generally through a series of steps. These steps include the receipt of the information by the sales/service representative 2, input of such information into the service order system 3, transmission of the information to MARCH provisional system 5, and then finally further distribution of the information to an appropriate service switching point (SSP) 9.
This task of providing mechanisms is very important because without mechanisms at the appropriate SSP to provide access to the entry of information relating to the customer, there is no link then between the customer's calling line and the entry of information stored in the centralized AIN element. As noted above, neither the SCP nor the SCN maintains any type of correlation table or database between customer's calling lines and the respective SSPs serving the calling lines. Thus, these mechanisms are the only link between the SSP serving a customer's calling line and the instructions that are contained in the entry of information in the centralized AIN element that pertain to the implementation of advanced services with respect to a customer's calling line. Although the mechanisms are necessary, the manner in which these mechanisms are set up presently requires human intervention through the use of the sales/service representative, takes a relatively long time, includes quite a few steps, and otherwise generally slows down the implementation of advanced services for a customer.
In addition to the problems described above relating to customer selection and activation of advanced services, there is an additional problem of initiating the deactivation of the advanced services. For instance, a customer may desire that the selected and activated advanced service be terminated at a specific time. As an example, a customer may request that the call forwarding temporary advanced telecommunication service be applied to their calling line only while the customer is in Chicago on business. Because the customer plans on visiting Chicago for only one week, the customer may select a termination time requesting that the call forwarding temporary advanced telecommunication service be deactivated after one week.
In another scenario, a customer may request that the voice mail temporary advanced telecommunication service be applied to their calling line for three days while the customer spends a long weekend on Miami beach. The customer may select a termination time after which the voice mail temporary advanced telecommunication service should be deactivated. The customer then expects the voice mail temporary advanced telecommunication service to be applied their calling line only for the specified time, three days, and to be deactivated thereafter. For this to occur, however, there must exist some means to initiate the deactivation of the temporary advanced telecommunication service following the expiration of the termination time requested by the customer. The temporary advanced telecommunication service cannot continue in operation past the termination time and the service must not be deactivated prior to the termination time.
A number of methods currently exist for initiating the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service at the termination time. One method is through manual deactivation by a human service representative. The service representative may manually enter the deactivation information into a service order system computer. The deactivation information may then be passed to a service management system, and subsequently to a service control point (SCP) computer, which then takes steps to deactivate the temporary advanced telecommunication service. Because this solution requires human intervention, however, it is generally impracticable for the multitude of customers whose temporary advanced telecommunication services require deactivation each day.
Another method for initiating the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service is through the use of computer timers. In this method, a computer timer is begun each time a temporary advanced telecommunication service is activated. The timer is set to expire at the termination time requested by the customer. When the timer expires, it directs a computer program to deactivate the temporary advanced telecommunication service. This approach, however, is akin to setting an alarm clock for each temporary advanced telecommunication service requested by each customer. Just as it would be difficult to set and turn-off thousands of real alarm clocks every day, it is difficult, if not impossible, to manage these individual computer timers for each customer and for each temporary advanced telecommunication service on a large scale. In fact, even the fastest modern computers would have a difficult time managing timers for thousands of termination times every day.
Another method for initiating the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service is through service package application (SPA) supervision. As described above, service package applications are the computer applications responsible for applying temporary advanced telecommunication services to telephone calls. Using this method, every SPA that implements a temporary advanced telecommunication service is responsible for storing the termination times for the calling lines which have the temporary advanced telecommunication service associated with them. For example, the SPA which implements the caller ID temporary advanced telecommunication service must retain the termination times for all calling lines which have the caller ID temporary advanced telecommunication service associated with them.
In the SPA supervision method, when a call is directed to a calling line which has a temporary advanced telecommunication service associated with it, the service control point (SCP) computer passes control of the call to the SPA responsible for implementing the temporary advanced telecommunication service. The SPA then checks the termination time for the calling line prior to applying the temporary advanced telecommunication service. If the termination time has expired, the SPA initiates the deactivation of the temporary advanced telecommunication service by updating its expiration information and returns the call to the SCP for processing without application of the advanced service. If the termination time has not expired, however, the SPA applies the temporary advanced telecommunication service to the call.
The SPA supervision method is advantageous because it can initiate the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service without the use of a timer and without the intervention of a human operator. The SPA supervision method is disadvantageous, however, because it requires each SPA to maintain its own termination time information in a separate database. Termination time information is therefore needlessly duplicated because it is stored in multiple locations.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system that provides for the provision of customer selection and activation of advanced services, delivery of short term or rental of advanced services, and implementation of such advanced services on short notice in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN).
There is also a need for a method and system that provides for the application of one or more advanced services in an AIN to a customer's directory number or calling line without the necessity of the customer having a predefined relationship with a telecommunication service provider with respect to the advanced services.
There is an additional need for a method and system that provides for the application of one or more advanced services in an AIN to a customer's directory number or calling line without the necessity of a service representative carrying out administrative tasks with respect to the customer.
There is yet another need for a method and system that allows an AIN element such as a service control point (SCP) keep track of a calling line number and the service switching point that serves the calling line number in a manner other than the query/response exchange relationship.
In addition, there is a need for a method and system that provides for the entry of information relating to a customer's advanced services in a centralized AIN element in a manner that avoids human intervention by a sales/service representative, that is accomplished quickly with few steps, and that minimally impedes the implementation of advanced services for a customer.
Also, there is a need for a method and system that provides for the set up of mechanisms at an SSP to access the entry information relating to a customer that is stored in a centralized AIN element that avoids human intervention by a sales/service representative, that is accomplished quickly with few steps, and that minimally impedes the implementation of advanced services for a customer.
There is also a need for a system and method for initiating the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service which can be implemented on a large scale for a multitude of calling lines and a multitude of temporary advanced telecommunication services, which does not require the intervention of a human representative or the use of computer timers.
There is an additional need for a system and method for initiating the deactivation of a temporary advanced telecommunication service which stores rental information, including termination time information, in a single location, thereby saving valuable storage space.